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Autografting

Long-term follow-up of patients undergoing auto-SCT for advanced germ cell tumour: a multicentre cohort study

Abstract

Failure of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced germ cell tumour (GCT) is associated with a poor outcome. High-dose chemotherapy and auto-SCT is one therapeutic option, although the long-term outcome after this procedure is unclear. We conducted a multicentre cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing a single auto-SCT for GCT between January 1986 and December 2004. Of 71 subjects, median follow-up is 10.1 years. OS at 5 years is 44.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 32.9–56.5%) and EFS is 43.5% (95% CI 31.4–55.1%). There were seven (10%) treatment-related deaths within 100 days of auto-SCT. Three (4.2%) patients developed secondary malignancies. Of 33 relapses, 31 occurred within 2 years of auto-SCT. Two very late relapses were noted 13 and 11 years after auto-SCT. In multivariate analysis, favourable outcome was associated with IGCCC (International Germ Cell Consensus Classification) good prognosis disease at diagnosis, primary gonadal disease and response to salvage chemotherapy. We conclude that auto-SCT results in successful outcome for a relatively large subgroup of patients with high-risk GCT. Late relapses may occur, a finding not previously reported.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Janet Nitta and Erin Richardson for their assistance with the registry data.

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Correspondence to M D Seftel.

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Seftel, M., Paulson, K., Doocey, R. et al. Long-term follow-up of patients undergoing auto-SCT for advanced germ cell tumour: a multicentre cohort study. Bone Marrow Transplant 46, 852–857 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.250

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